Citu leader murder case: Main accused arrested from Chopra

5 October 2011

statesman news service
SILIGURI, 5 OCT: Two months after  the murder of a Citu leader, Raj Kumar Yadav, Pradhan Nagar police arrested the main accused, Sanjit Yadav, from Chopra in North Dinajpur early today.
Sanjit, a resident of Bihar, was produced before a court today. He was remanded in police custody for further interrogation.
A group of criminals attacked Raj Kumar Yadav and his relative Surender Yadav at Siliguri Regulated Market on the night of 30 July. Surender died on the spot while bullet-ridden Raj Kumar succumbed to his injuries on 1 August in a hospital.
Police, based on Raj Kumar’s final statement, arrested two persons after the incident. But the main accused fled the area after the incident.
Primary investigations revealed that Surender Yadav, also a resident of Bihar and accused of several criminal cases in Bihar, was murdered due to past enmity. Surender committed criminal activities in Bihar and took shelter with Raj Kumar Yadav in Siliguri, police said.
Protesting against the murder of the Citu leader, the Left Front-backed trade unions had observed a 12-hour general strike demanding arrest of the main accused.
The Darjeeling police contacted Bihar police and informed all police stations concerned in the state to track Sanjit. Though police had been able to trace his whereabouts in Bihar, adjoining areas in north Bengal and even in Kolkata, they decided to keep a close watch on his movement.
The Siliguri additional SP, Mr Amit P Javalgi, said: “We came to know that he was residing at Chopra. We strategically decided on our move that let him feel comfortable living here.”
“When he came to his relative’s house at Chopra in North Dinajpur last night around 10 p.m. police had planned to intercept him. He was arrested around 1 a.m. from his relative’s house where he had taken shelter,” Mr Javalgi said.
The CPI-M state committee member, Mr Jibesh Sarkar, said: “We have been demanding that police should arrest the main accused to know the mastermind behind the murder of the Citu leader. When police have been able to nab him now they should start investigation to ascertain the motive behind the murder.”
“We suspect that anti-Citu trade union organisers conspired to end his life just to take control of the regulated market in Siliguri where Raj Kumar Yadav headed the trade union,” Mr Sarkar said.